Avenging Angel of Good
by CeruleanSalamandastron
Summary: Ben and Ned, an immortal boy and dog, were on a ship during a storm, and took an escape rowboat per their directing angel's command. They arrive on the island where the boys of Lord of the Flies are hunting for Ralph. Since LOTF is mostly about the devil side of human consciousness, the Castaways represent redemption.


Lord of the Flies was written by William Golding, Castaways of the Flying Dutchman was written by Brian Jacques. The Castaways are pure souls rewarded by an angel with immortality, the ability to speak any language, telepathy, and orders to spread good in the world. Them being on the LOTF island makes this story a classic good-vs-evil.

* * *

The small rowboat became prominent on the horizon around midday; it was the second day of hunting for Ralph, and the tribe was frustrated beyond belief. Only when SamnEric looked to the sea did they notice a dot on the horizon. They rest, who were resting, gathered along the shore, seeing old hopes come alive again.

Jack was called for, and he stood at the front as the boat headed toward them. As it grew clearer, it was clear that it had been tossed overboard in a storm. It was upside down, a standard wooden rowboat, and had probably hit a few rocks on its journey, too.

They watched, wide-eyed, as the craft drifted to shore, and alighted on the beach. Jack stepped forward, as if in a daze. He nudged it with his toe. The sun drifted towards the horizon. He cautiously turned it over, then gave a cry in surprise.

A boy and a dog, both asleep, were tied to the seat. The boy's blonde hair spilled onto the sand, and his lips opened. His chest rose and fell, as did the dog's. He was moved beyond the tide, and the boat brought to the Rock Fortress for shelter. Jack himself stayed behind to keep watch on the boy throughout the night. The search was all but forgotten, and a watch for the Fortress was ordered. Bugger Ralph, be he found. That pest would be slayed, but no matter. This strange boy was more important.

And his dog, too. The tribe had wanted to eat it at first, but as Chieftain he had the right of eating it at his discretion. He fell into an alert half-sleep, breathing slowly. The stars came out, and the waters rippled faintly along the shores. If the island didn't seem against its inhabitance, one could almost say it was peaceful.

Sometime after midnight, the dog returned to consciousness, lying splayed on the sand. He let his nose paint the scene for him, filling with smells of strange boys and death. Fire, too, and fear filled the island.

This place itself. It reeked of destruction, fear, and discord. Throughout his existence he'd learned those smells, and others, as he helped people to the best of his ability. Now he understood why they'd been sent to this island. These boys were stranded, and he and Ben could save them.

Hey, you lumpy old snoozer, are you awake yet? he asked his friend. To the casual observer, the sandy-haired boy rolling over to face his dog would have been a coincidence, but Ben was no ordinary boy and his circumstances were unique.

What do you think, you grizzled flea-bag? Ben challenged, eyes flying open and mouth morphing into a smile. Both got up at the same time to frolic on the beach, romping to the stars overhead. Waves and sand flew, and Jack's eyes snapped open.

He watched the spectacle as if removed from the situation whatsoever. His breathing slowed, his eyes narrowed to slits.

Ned used his black lab speed to topple Ben, remarking casually, You know, there's a jolly evil-looking chap over there who might eat us if we're not careful.

Ben looked around, as if searching for something. He'd gotten quite good at pretending to realize things his friend had told him. "Hey, where'd our boat go?"

Jack was compelled to step out of the shadows. "I have your boat."

"Where?" Ben stepped closer to make out Jack's form. Ned's hackles rose.

He smells like the fear of the island, Ben. Don't let him touch you.

Don't worry, I won't, Ben thought back. "Where is it?" he asked aloud.

"Elsewhere," came the reply, allowing him to pinpoint the boy, though no notion that he knew of the other's location was visible on his face. He was mortal, no doubt, and a savage who had been stranded on an island. Ben shrugged. "I was hoping to go fishing for you. I might have been able to patch up that boat."

Jack's senses were telling him to attack, but he waited. "You would leave this island and never come back."

The boy gave a laugh. "If I were picked up by a pirate ship, then probably. I'd most likely come back some time, though." After all, isn't opportunity what being eternal is all about?

Ben, hullo. Ned thought as Jack's fist sailed in the general direction of Ben's stomach.

Jack flew through the air, expecting to hit something but never succeeding. He hit the sand face-first, and the voice floated to him through the darkness.

"Well that's not very nice, old chap. You could get y'self or others hurt, you know!"

Jack growled, getting up and glancing around. With a savage intensity, he cursed the clouds that covered the stars.

"Tchach, tchach, don't be rude," the boy said. "Tell ya what, pal, we'll chat again tomorrow, alright?"

Jack growled again, turning around in an attempt to find the voice.

"Alright, see ya tomorrow then. Try not to keep spinning like that, you'll get y'self dizzy!"

The voice disappeared, and Jack stumbled into what he realized was the ocean. He stumbled back up the beach to a tree and curled up under it. He would try to find the boy and his dog in the morning.

Meanwhile, the telepathic duo strolled to another part of the forest. Ned curled up next to his friend, remarking, If I don't wake you up, the sun will.

Bluh bluh bluh the next morning. (A/N: Yes, I realize that I need to get better transitions than that.)

Ben opened blue eyes to a tropical morning sunrise. Ned was crashing through the undergrowth, leading as he put it, "that untrustworthy old coot" away from his friend. He stretched, and found some water to drink from a pool nearby. He got a strange feeling from this island, and understood Ned's discomfort with being here. However, they'd been in worse situations.

When finished drinking, he followed Ned's thoughts, as the lab kept their friend in place. He pushed through branches to find a tall boy, who was half a head taller than him, and had dirty orange hair opposed to Ben's blonde. Ben offered the unfriendly-looking boy a hand.

"I'm Ben. Who're you?"

"Jack. Jack Merridew." His voice was rough, probably from misuse. Jack squeezed Ben's hand, trying to intimidate the other. He saw hints of the strange wisdom behind the other's sea-blue yes. Ben squeezed back, watching Jack's face contort in an attempt not to cry out. He sighed mentally, thinking of the countless bullies he would undoubtedly do this to in the future. Humanity was determined to produce mean people, it seemed.

He released the boy's hand, allowing him to regain control.

"You're my prisoner now!" the boy shouted. Ben shrugged.

"Okay. Are we going to go find my boat now?"

The boy's mouth was a thin line. "After you call off your dog."

"Come on Ned, run along," Ben said, flapping his hands.

Run along, indeed. Ned grumped as he crashed back into the undergrowth. I'll go see if I can figure some things out. I smell a kind spirit here.

Ben smiled apologetically. "He's usually a nice dog, but sometimes he needs a little scolding." I heard that! "So, where are we going?"

Jack turned towards the Fortress Rock. "Follow me."

Bluh bluh after they got there.

Ben arrived on the rock fortress, where he immediately spied his boat. Three boys were curled/piled in it haphazardly, and the timbers were creaking. However, he held his tongue, as the presumed guards were looking at him curiously.

"Hiyo, chaps, bloody nice day, isn't it?" He gestured to the sunny sky, and smiled. "I prefer it much better than that storm yesterday." he shuddered. The littluns came shrieking from various stomping grounds on the island, to see the newcomer. He smiled at them, making a funny face.

Jack silenced them all with a glare, causing the littluns to shrink back into the crevices. "This is Ben. He was shipwrecked last night, while we were searching for Ralph. He has a dog-" Ben nodded. "His name is Ned and he's a lovable old pal."

"-Right," Jack continued. "The point is, that dog is roaming free, and as Chief, I want it under my control."

Ben considered this. "I dunno," he said, laughing. "He might not listen to you." Ben could tell that Ned sensed his thought and was now laughing at Jack. The littluns giggled, wanting to see the dog. Jack shouted, "Enough!" and turned to Ben.

"You didn't fight me last night because it was dark, but now I want a good, rousing fight."

Ben shook his head. "I don't want to fight you."

Jack sneered. "Well, you'll have to."

He aimed a spectacular punch at Ben's face, and at the last second, Ben disappeared. Confused, Jack plowed through space to hit the rock below him.

"Your body gives away your every move," Ben stated, helping him up. "Let's try this again. Don't let your eyes give away your move-" he offered, and bent over backwards as the blow nearly hit his stomach. He righted himself and laughed.

"Jolly good, old chap. However, I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that."

He decided to let the rocks give Jack a warning not to try to hurt him, and next dodged to allow Jack to punch three tons of rock. Jack's hand gave a crunch.

"Oh dear, did you hurt yourself? Better let it rest, then." he said, memories of Chapelvale seeping into his mind. He shook his head to clear it, then smiled at the littluns. "How did you all get here?"

"W'went ona plen."

"It cwass'd."

"Walf led."

"Walf had fire."

"Wuzza beastie."

"Jack killa pig."

"Went t'a rock."

He tilted his head. "What was the Beastie?"

"It was a snakie from t'water. Then 't was a big ting onna mounting."

"It's okay. Me 'n Ned are here now. We came from a ship, and our friends will probably miss us."

"You have f'ends?"

"Yes, and I have a dog. He'll stop by later."

"No he won't." Jack had been nursing his hand and sizing up this boy. He spoke with an older accent, as if he was a grandfather, yet there wasn't a grey hair on his head. His eyes were bluer than the ocean, and held wisdom and clarity that was nigh impossible for one his age.

_Maybe he's an ocean spirit,_ Jack thought nervously. _I'd better not offend him_.

"Would you like some food?" he asked Ben, leading him to their campfire. He tore off a haunch of a pig and offered it to his guest.

Ben ate it delicately, savoring every morsel. The trading ship he'd been on had only given him and Ned scraps, and it was good to eat a satisfying meal after the draining process of being tossed overboard. He finished, then stood up. "I thank you for the meal, but Ned will return. He will be civil to you as long as you are civil to him."

Jack was about to answer with a snappy reply, but remembered who he was talking to. "Very well," he answered, leading his guest outside.

"Also, I would like to fix up the boat I was wrecked with. I know how to, and with a little help, you could be eating fish."

"Is there any way you could prove that you won't leave without us?" Jack asked, doing his best to be polite. Ben smiled, knowing this was coming.

"For the first trip, you and another person can accompany me fishing, so long as you obey my seagoing commands. I'll leave Ned on the island, and you two can bring spears. The tackle is already in the boat," the towheaded blonde gestured to the boat, now clear of sleeping children. "So provided we don't sink it, we can fish."

Jack opened his mouth and closed it, not having a response to this perfect plan. He nodded, deciding it was worth a shot. "Very well. My hunters and I will be hunting now." He turned and gathered the biguns, some armed with spears, to proceed off of the Castle Rock.

Ben grinned and romped with the litluns, not worried about Ned. His dog was within his range, so if one got into trouble, the other could find them.

Where Ned was (dun dun duuuuun...)

Ned was frolicking on this evil island, apparently unaware of the menace that hung over this entire place. He roved past Simon's hideout, saw the parachute man, the ashes on the mountain, and discerned a smell.

It was not an evil smell, which surprised him, but not unlike the littluns it hinted of innocence. A boy, with a spark of life not completely stamped out by this island, though heavily suppressed. He followed it throughout the island, and traced Ralph's flight from the tribe. He finally found the boy in a tunnel under a thorn bush. He sat outside, watching. Waiting.

Ralph had not heard the hunters since last night, but he was pretty sure he was beginning to go insane. Yes, paranoid and insane. He raised his head out of the hole, squinting through the prickers four metres thick. He crawled out, and started in shock as something from his past moved.

A black dog, like the vicar's at home, wagged its tail at him. He blinked, sure he was seeing things.

"Mad. I've gone mad," he muttered. He had no one to talk to intelligently since Piggy died, and Simon, wherever he was, didn't say much anyways. Everyone else wanted to kill him.

The dog stared at him, incredibly lifelike. He crept forward, and stretched out a hand for the Labrador to sniff. Its wet nose touched his hand. This dream seemed mostly real.

He reached further and petted the dog, feeling the slightly-damp fur on the dog. Ned wagged his tail again, talking to Ben.

Hey, ole human! I've got another one with me now!

Be careful. A group of the others just went 'hunting'.

Ned checked the winds and sure enough, the scent of other unclean boys reached his nose. His hackles raised, and he decided to play the "follow me so you don't get captured" game with Ralph. The dog walked a few paces in the direction of the beach, where he had landed. Ralph picked up on this quickly, and followed him, retrieving a stake from his bush and running with soft footfalls.

Ned found a clump of rocks and he and Ralph hid under them. Throughout the day, shouts from the forest appeared, but Ned was busy talking to Ned.

They're back now. I'll try to find out more about your boy.

You'd better not them where we're hiding.

I won't if you won't tell me where you are.

Ned shoved his nose into Ralph's hand, half-waking the sleeping boy. It's okay, my big blundering boy is on your case. He curled up in the rocks next to Ralph, and let out a sigh.

Ben vs Jack - Round 3 (place your bets!)

"Are you all of the boys on this island?" Ben asked. Jack shook his head in response.

"There were four others. One was a littlun who went missing, the other a loopy boy called Simon, who disappeared, another a fat 'un called Piggy. His specs are our fire. The other was called Ralph, and he wanted us to make a fire. Fire, fire, fire. We gave him a fire all right. We tried to kill him."

"Did you succeed?" Ben's eyes sparked with interest.

"No. He got away." Jack stabbed a recently sharpened spear into the fire, watching the tip turn black.

"Why do you hate him?" Ben's eyes across the fire from him became gold. His hair glowed, still short. He looked like an angel of civilization there to right all wrong.

"I hated him because... because he was weak. He was short and weak and only cared about others getting us. I wanted to survive. I wanted to give the rest what they wanted, and he wanted to give them back to the other world."

Ben said not a word, but rose from his seat across the fire from Jack. He said nothing to the guards, just looked at them with his etherworldly gaze. He picked up the boat, still looking round at people, and calmly left Fortress Rock with his boat in tow.

The littluns lined up to watch him leave, fading into the darkness. The evening was coming, but Ben's spirit shone like a lighthouse. It drew the tribe's attention long after he had actually vanished.

Jack shivered at the intensity of the other's gaze. He hoped to keep his tribe together, but he had the unnerving feeling that Ben would be back to unravel it. And he'd most likely have Ralph with him.

Ben in the woods.

He walked calmly, allowing the boat to weigh him down, though he could have easily ran with it. Since he last looked at it, it had a ten-millimeter gap fore, and a few loose boards by the spine. He used his connection with Ned to ask him where he was.

Where 'm I? Well, old chap, I think the question is more of where is everyone. Y'see, the jolly old world's spinnin'-

Ha ha, you reminded me of the time we met Shakespeare. He was well pleased to meet you.

Especially since I saved his daughter. Whew! She was a great friend.

Ben smiled, and followed Ned's directions. The black lab wagged his tail at the feeling of happy from his friend. Ralph stirred beside him, tense and alert. Ned licked his fingers and wagged his tail to show that the approaching being wasn't bad.

In the low illumination from the stars, Ralph could see a figure. It was a boy, but not as dirty as the tribe. The boy's hair was a little shaggy, but not out-of-control as the others' had been. He felt Ned's tail smack his arm and smiled, hoping that he would be rescued at last. The peacefulness of calming slumber claimed him at last.

The boat had been set above the tideline, and Ben gently placed Ralph's limp body on some ferns beside the boat. Ned curled up beside Ralph, but Ben sat, hair blowing in the nocturnal breeze. Though this place someday would cease to exist, the boy would live on, defending the weak and helping the oppressed until the end of time.

He'd had plenty of time to sleep in centuries before, when he had spent a collective ten years in the jails of the Spanish Inquisition in the place of a friend's relative. He remembered those times now, and wondered if that was what being stuck on this island was like. Through the rest of the night, he stayed awake, watching the wonders of the night.

Ben feared no beast, even if the littluns were prone to belief in it. His spirit was pure, and with that, along with his blessing/curse, he was able to spread good in the world. He saw the island not as a bounty of dangers, but as a habitat, a place to exist. He sighed, glad to be back with Ned, and glad that Ralph was now safe.


End file.
